Envelope



Sept. 18, 1934.- J. w. McDO NA LD ENVELOPE Filed 001',- l6, 1933Patented Se t, 18, 1934 John W. McDonald, Los Angeles, Calif.Application October is, 193's, Serial No. 693349 6 Claims. 3 (c1.229-80) This invention relates to an improvement in envelopes, and moreparticularly to the provision of means for detecting any fraudulentattempt to-open an envelope that has been sealed against inspection. 1I" W Y The invention consists in providing openings in the back orsealing flap, or both, of the usual paper envelopes and covering theseopenings with -a substance or material, so that the material of thesealing flap will overlie the material of the 'back'of the envelope andcaused to adhere to each other as the envelope fiap is moistened andsealed to the back. An envelope constructed in this manner and sealedcannot be tampered with for the purpose of surreptitiously opening the.same without indicating in some manner that an unwarranted attempt hasbeenmade to open the envelope, either by rupturing one or bothof thestrips, or defacing and destroying the appearance of the strips fromtheir normal state:

The invention consists of certain novel features of construction andcombinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and pointedout in the claims In the accompanying drawing:

'Fig. l is a perspective viewof the invention applied to an'envelopeshowing the flap opening;

' Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view with the envelopesealed; Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view showing the effect on thesealing means when the envelope is being pried open;

Fig; 4 is a detail view partially in elevation and partially in sectionshowing a modified form of sealing strip; I

Fig. 5 is a detail view in perspective showing the constructionillustrated in Fig.- 4 when the flap of the envelope has been pried up,e-

Fig. 6 is a detail view in elevation showing the sealing strip providedwith slits.

This invention is intended for use with any kind of envelope, andthe'type of envelope shown in the drawing is merely for the sake ofillustrating the principle of the invention and its application.

The envelope 10, is provided with the usual back 11 and sealing orgummed flap 12. The back 11 and flap 12 are each provided with anelongated opening 13 and 14 respectively, which openings are broughtinto registry when the flap 12 is sealed in position or overlies theback 11.

Applied to the exterior surface of the flap 12 and extending across theopening 14 is a defaceable or rupturab-le material, such as glassinetransparent gummed paper 15, which is attached glue tissue, and likematerial may be employed,

to the surface of the envelope around the opening 14'by the gum on 'thepaper 15 or other suitable adhesive. The back 11 is provided with a likestrip of the glassine paper 16, but the paper is applied.

to the inner surface of the back and across the?.-opening'l3,'presenting the gummed surface toward the exteriorsurface ofthe envelope or outwardly, and is attached to the inner surface on thepaper.

When the envelope is surface of the'fiap 12 is moistened as-well as thegummed surface of the glassine paper 15, and as the fragile sealed totheback 11,-the two strips or pieces of the glass ine paper 15 .andlSare caused to'adhere to each other. In this manner I have an open facedback or window in the backof the envelope which may be used for theaddress or return address. However, should an attempt be made tofraudulently open the envelope by raising the flap, a cloudy spot wouldimmediately form on the-glassine strips 15, 16 where separated, or

one or both would be torn or ruptured due to theirparticularcharacteristics, making it impossible tore-seal the envelopeand eliminate the cloudy or-torn condition of the strips or pieces 15and 16, and'thereby indicating to the person receiving the envelope thatit had been tampered with in an at tempt to gain access to the contentsof the envelope.

While reference has been made to the use of glassine transparent gummedpaper, it is to be understood that tissue paper, sheet gelatine, fishbut the glas'sine paper has proven most satisfac-- tory and thereforesome preference has been given In Figs. 4 and 5 the envelope has theflap 12 provided with the glassine strip in a similar manner as shown inFig. 1, but the back 11, has the opening 13 covered with a. thin tissueof paper 17, which is applied to the inner surface of the back acrossthe opening 13, and secured to theback by a suitable adhesive, leavingthe lower edge of the tissue paper free or loose throughout the lowerlongitudinal edge. In this form, when the flap 12 is moistened and thestrip 15 for sealing the envelope, the flap 12 will be sealed to theback 11 and the strip 15 to the tissue paper strip 17. In this instancethe tissue paper will be torn, wrinkled or broken in case the flap islifted in opening the envelope, and the tissue paper being of a flimsynature cannot be repaired, and thereto be-sealed the inner attempts tounseal the envelope.

fore it will be apparent that an unwarranted attempt has been made toopen the envelope.

It is to be noted that the strips of glassine or tissue paper 15, 16, 17are applied to different surfaces of the envelope back 11 and flap 12.By applying the strip 15 to the exterior surface of the flap 12, andeither of the other strips 16, 1'? to the inner surface of the back, itis impossible to raise the flap after it has been sealed without in somemanner damaging either or both of the strips 15, 16 and 17. Again, ifthe strips 16 and 17 were applied to the exterior surface of the back itmight be possible to raise the flap 12 without any serious; injury toeither of the strips 15, 16 or 17, yet this transparency destroyed orinjured, each stripmay be provided with perforations or slits '18 toinsure that one or both will be ruptured or disfigured if an attempt ismade to open the sealed envelope.

[The size, location or formation of the openings in the envelope may bevaried to suit the-demands or requirements of the user, and therefore itis not the intent to be so limited, or as to the ;num ber-ofopenings'employed in the back 11 or flap 12. Also, the location of thedefaceab'le strips on the back or flap may be varied unchanged to suitthe peculiar conditions or desires of .the user without departing fromthe spirit and scope of this invention.

This invention has many superior advantages over other devices foraccomplishing this purpose, as, for instance, the application of sealsor strips to the exterior surface of the-envelope flaps and then-sealedto the back of the envelope, because such sealing is often broken in thehandling of the mail matter, and not due to any malicious With thepresent invention there is nothing to be destroyed, as the sub-stancesor material employed in connection with either the flap or back are of acharacter which will withstand the ordinary abuses to which they aresubjected in mail handling, and it is only when some means is employedto lift or raise the flap to unseal the envelope that these strips arecaused to be defaced or disfigured; and by that is meant wrinkled, torn,blurred or what not, that such indication is given that some tamperinghas taken place. The gumming or sealing of these strips to the back andflap and together, insures that the strips will be deformed in somemanner upon the raising of the sealed flap.

, What I claim is:

1. An envelope comprising a back and'a sealing flap said sealing flapbeing provided with an opening therein, a strip forming a closuretherefor,

said sealing flap, back and strip all being sealed together so that anyattempt to unseal the envelope would damage the strip and presentvisible indication thereof.

2. An envelope consisting of a back and a sealing flap each having anopening therein, and strips applied to said back and flap over saidopenings, one of the strips having a gummed surface, said strips beingsealedtogether asthe flap is sealed to the back so that one .or both ofthe strips will be damaged in an attempt to unseal the envelope andpresent visible indication thereof.

3. An envelope comprising a back and a sealing flap each having anopening therein adapted to be in registry as the flap overlies the back,

a transparent gummed strip applied over each strips being sealedtogether as the flap is sealed to the back and one or both of the stripsbecoming, disfigured 'in an attempt to unseal the envelope.

4; An envelope comprising a-back and a "sealing flap. eac'hhavingan-opening therein adapted-tobe brought into registry as the flapoverlies theback, strips for closing the openings one atleast of whichhas a gummed surface, one strip being attached to the exterior'of theflap, and the other strip being attached to the inner surface of theback, said flap {being sealed to the back as the strips are sealedtogether and one or both of the strips becoming disfigured in an attemptto unseal the envelope.

5. An envelope co'mprising a back flap and a sealingfiap, said sealingflap being provided with an opening therein, and a transparent gummedstrip applied :to the sealing flap and sealed thereto for. closing theopening "therein, said sealing flap adapted .to be sealed toathe backflap, said gummed strip secured to the back flap by the gummedsurfacethereof for additionally securing the back and sealing flapstogether in sealing the envelope so that any attempt to unseal theenvelope would present visible indication thereof on said strip. 1

6. Anenvelope comprising a back flapand a sealing. flap one of whichisprovided with an opening therein, said sealing flap adapted to besealed to the back flap, and a transparent gummed strip secured toone'of theflaps in a position to overlie the opening in the other flapwhen the flaps are in sealed position so that said strip is visible fromthe exterior ofithe sealed envelope, an'd'the gummed surfaceo'fsaidstripsecuring the other flap to the strip and flap having the openingtherein so that the envelope is additionally sealed and any attempt tounsealthe same will present visible indicationthereof on said strip.

. JOHN W... MCDONALD.

